Oppositional Defiancy Disorder

Persistent behavioral problems are something that all parents dread. Early detection of significant conduct problems is key, as early intervention is essential to a child's healthy psychological and social development. With between two and sixteen percent of children having conduct issues, this is a very important problem for parents and educators to understand.

Significance

• Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) often have significant impairment in normal social functioning. Moreover, lower IQ scores and verbal deficits are noted in individuals with ODD.

Symptoms

• Behaviors that are negativistic, hostile and defiant lasting at least six months are symptoms of ODD. Children with ODD often argue with people, defy rules, get angry and deliberately annoy other people.

Associated Disorders

• ADHD is the disorder most often associated with ODD. Nearly half of individuals with ADHD have ODD.

Treatment

• There is no one perfect therapy, as there are several complex issues to deal with. Family education is essential in therapy as behavioral modifications will need to be enforced in all areas of the child's life.

Progression

• ODD is often seen as a potential precursor to more severe pathology such as Conduct Disorder and, potentially, Antisocial Personality Disorder. Often conduct problems not resolved by the third grade will lead to chronic socialization problems.